84. JAL 07/11/2013. Case no. BRA 5/2013. State reply: None to date.
Alleged death threats and false allegations of paedophilia and sexual abuse against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights defenders in Brazil.
Observations
86. The Special Rapporteur expresses deep concern at the reported continuous climate of violence and pressure against those exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, which includes acts of intimidations and harassments against associations, social movements and indigenous communities defending environmental and land-related rights.
87. While recognizing the steps taken by the Government to engage in participatory and informed consultation process with civil society activists, as outlined in the Government’s response dated 16 September 2013, the Special Rapporteur urges the Government of Brazil to conduct prompt and thorough investigations in each case, prosecute perpetrators, and provide adequate reparation to victims.
88. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government of Brazil put in place an enabling and safe environment allowing individuals to exercise their legitimate freedoms of peaceful assembly and association without undue hindrances. He reiterates the content of the operative paragraph 2 of the Human Rights Council Resolution 24/5 that “[r] reminds States of their obligation to respect and fully protect the rights of all individuals to assemble peacefully and associate freely, online as well as offline, including in the context of elections, and including persons espousing minority or dissenting views or beliefs, human rights defenders, trade unionists and others, including migrants, seeking to exercise or to promote these rights, and to take all necessary measures to ensure that any restrictions on the free exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law.”
Link to full text of the report: Report-SRAssembly-Communications and replies-2014-eng-fra-esp
Link to Special Rapporteur’s correspondence with the State: Correspondence-SR-Brazil-2013-eng